Faust and Shortee are two of the best DJs I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. Mixing and scratching with the best of Hip Hop, Techno, House, Freestyle, Jazz and more, Faust and Shortee have captured listeners' attention by resurrecting old the school sound and creating a new sound to the 21st Century, and the best thing about this duo is that they are willing to share their techniques with the world.

     Nowadays, most DJs just take the music from another song, add a rapper and call it a mix. The art of scratching and mixing has all but become extinct from the mainstream. Having achieved success with various shows, CDs and mix tapes, Faust and Shortee have gone to the next level and put together a video to assist novice DJs with the basic knowledge of how the scratch.

     Shortee's DJ 101 is a how-to video for DJs. This is a great video for people looking into becoming a DJ. Shortee is the instructor and she is a very pleasant host with a lot of charm, keeping lessons interesting and entertaining, making even the most difficult of topics appear easy, not over their heads.

     Step by step Shortee give the basics on from equipment set-up, mixing (counting music, music notation, and beat matching), right into the various scratching techniques. Viewers also get a crash course in tricks of the trade like how to find the right records to use and picking a DJ name. This 95-minute video moves very smoothly with a pumping soundtrack provided by the hosts. Also, students will receive first hand advice from notable DJs like Faust, Craze, Danny the Wildchild and Phantom 45.

     The multi-camera angles and extreme close ups, 2D and 3D animations and caption windows provide a PBS style on the intricate world of DJ music. I enjoyed this video. What Body for Life did for bodybuilding, Shortee's DJ 101 does for the DJ art form. I have no aspirations to be a DJ, but while watching this video, even I had inkling to try my hand at scratching. My partner plans to use the video in school so her students can look at another aspect of the music business.

     It's nice that talented DJs like Shortee are giving back to the little DJs in all of us. This is an educational experience you don't want to miss.

     For more information and to take the next step to becoming a DJ, go to www.faustandshortee.com.

     Send your questions and comments about this article to JMinners@ybfree.com.